Your list7 min readUpdated
An audience Canadian creators own: building an email list under CASL
Platforms change their rules, and accounts get suspended with little warning. An email list you own lets fans follow you whatever happens. In Canada, that list is governed by CASL, which is stricter than many creators expect. This note covers the rules and a simple way to build a list that fans are glad to be on.
1Why own your audience
A platform page is rented space. Policies change, payment processors change their minds, and accounts are suspended, sometimes by mistake. When that happens, fans who only knew you through the platform are hard to reach. An email list, and a site under your creator name, are the two things that stay yours.
2CASL in five points
| Rule | In practice |
|---|---|
| Consent first | Get agreement before sending; the burden of proving it is on you |
| No permission-by-email | An email asking whether you may email is itself covered by the rules |
| Say who you are | Your creator name and a way to contact you in every message |
| Easy unsubscribe | A working link in every email, honoured within 10 business days and kept working for at least 60 days |
| Penalties | Up to $1 million for an individual, enforced by the CRTC |
General information, not legal advice.
3A sign-up fans trust
- A simple form on your own site and a link from each profile.
- One line saying what you will send and how often.
- An unticked box, or a clear button, so consent is a real choice.
- A confirmation email, so you know the address is theirs.
Setting up the site that hosts the form is covered in our creator SEO guide.
4What to send, and what not to
Keep emails short, safe for work and useful: a new series, a schedule change, a note on where to find you if a platform has problems. Many email services have their own rules on adult content, so check before you choose one, and never put explicit images in the email itself. Link to your platform page instead.
5Look after the list
Remove people who unsubscribe promptly, keep a record of how and when each person joined, and send only what you promised. A small list of fans who want to hear from you is worth more than a large list of people who do not. Broader growth is covered on creator marketing in Canada.
6CASL in five lines
- Ask for permission clearly, with an unticked box and plain words about what you will send.
- Keep a record of when and where each person signed up.
- Put your creative name and a way to reach you in every message.
- Include an unsubscribe link that works and is honoured within ten business days.
- Never add people to your list without asking, including fans who messaged you on a platform.
7Choosing an email service
Some email services do not allow adult creators, and a few close accounts without warning. Read the acceptable use policy before signing up, choose a service that explicitly permits your kind of content, and export your list regularly so you never lose it. Keep emails safe for work even if the service allows more; many fans read email on shared screens.
8What to offer for signing up
Fans sign up when there is a reason: early notice of new sets, a monthly behind-the-scenes note, a discount on your platform, or news if you move. Promise one thing and deliver it. A list that sends something useful once or twice a month keeps more readers than one that sends daily promotions.
9Your list when a platform changes
If an account is suspended or a platform changes its rules, your list is how fans find you again. Send a short, calm message explaining where to find you now, update your site's links, and keep posting where you are allowed. Creators who built a list before trouble came recover in days; those who did not can lose years of work.
10Measuring the list
Track how many people join each month, how many open and click, and how many subscribers each email brings to your platform. Unsubscribes after an email tell you whether it was welcome. A list of a few hundred engaged fans can be worth more than thousands of followers who never see your posts. The marketing side is set out on creator marketing.
11Your own site as the hub
An email list works best alongside a simple site you own. The site holds the sign-up form, links to every platform, an about page and a short FAQ; the list carries news to people who asked for it. If a platform or social account disappears, both stay. Keep the site safe for work so it can appear in search and be shared anywhere, and keep explicit content on the platforms built for it. Our creator SEO guide explains how to set the site up.
12Writing emails people open
Subject lines should be clear and discreet: what the email is about, without anything a person nearby would find awkward. Keep the body short, lead with the news, and end with one link. Send when you have something to say rather than on a fixed schedule you cannot keep, but aim for at least once a month so readers remember who you are. Plain, personal emails tend to do better than heavily designed ones for creators, because they feel like a note from you rather than an advert.
13Texts and private messages
CASL covers commercial text messages and private social messages as well as email. If you collect phone numbers for updates, the same rules apply: clear consent, your identity in each message, and an easy way to stop. Many creators find email simpler and less intrusive, keeping texts for rare, important news such as a move to a new platform.
14A sign-up page that converts
The sign-up page needs only a few elements: a line saying what fans will get and how often, a field for an email address, an unticked consent box with plain wording, and a short note that they can leave at any time. Add your creative name and a friendly photo that is safe for work. Test the page on a phone, and send yourself the welcome email to check it arrives and reads well. Then link to the page from every bio and pin it where your platforms allow outside links.
15Keeping your fans safe
An email list is personal information, and for an adult creator's audience it is sensitive. Use a strong, unique password and two-step sign-in on your email service, never share the list with anyone, and do not export it to spreadsheets you leave lying around. If you work with an assistant, give them only the access they need. Fans who trust you with their address expect discretion.
16Where to go next
Pair the list with the platform work on OnlyFans marketing and Fansly growth, a simple site, as set out in our creator SEO guide, and promotion that respects each platform, as described in our Canada creator marketing guide. If you would like help setting it all up, our plans are on pricing, and a free audit is the place to start.
17Where these facts come from
Original sources, listed so every claim can be checked.
?Questions
Can I email fans who subscribed to my platform page?
A platform subscription alone is not permission. Under CASL you generally need consent to your own emails, collected by you, with records kept.
Can I send one email asking people to join my list?
No. Under CASL, an email asking for permission to email is itself a commercial message, so it needs consent too. Ask through your site and profiles instead.
What should I actually send?
Short, safe-for-work notes: new posts, schedule changes, where to find you if a platform goes down. Nothing explicit in the email itself.